Binary assets.

First Data, based in Atlanta, is the largest global payment technology solutions company, "shaping the future of global commerce" by simplifying processing services for commerce and industry.

Their advertising agency contracted me (ROSSLANDS) to develop graphics for multiple marketing videos, live action and animated – working in tandem with another studio who handled the live action / editing portions of the campaign. My slate included: animating title designs, icons, infographics, concepting an explainer video and creating an event video. A synopsis of this work is shown below.

FIRST STEPS were to include graphics (designed and animated) for overlay on several live action explainer videos. I developed and animated the graphics (logo/titles, icons, infographics, etc.) – which involved creating original graphics, or altering existing static assets, then tracking them onto the raw footage. These individual sequences (with transparency layers) were then passed to the other studio, who overlaid and/or cut them into their edited video. A sample of these graphics can be seen below.

Capping the live action videos were, of course, titles. As with most projects I take on, I produced (unsolicited) several variations for them to select from, or use altogether. You can see several of these concepts below.

EXPLAINING the products and services came next, through a fully-animated explainer video – specifically, a primer for EMV awareness. The timeline became condensed, so duties were split once again – ROSSLANDS providing concept and story development, boards, styleframes, and asset creation, while a second studio handled the animation, editing, audio, and all other post.

After we nailed down the script, I went to work creating the full visual story. This began with a styleguide for the video - defining colors, shapes, and patterns, as shown below.

Visual development of the assets came next, including several rounds of character development – body types ranging from a simple brand-reflective shape to a more detailed look. Yet, all with at least one unifying feature that spoke to the message – in this case, a card chip shaped head (where the "brains" lie). See below.

Developing the story was the crux of the project, and progressed in tandem with the visual development. After collaborating on an approved message, I went to work translating the script into visuals. You can see some of the boards and styleframes below.

After the boards, styleframes, and overall look was approved, I went back through and created all of the assets needed for the animation development. Of course, being well-versed in animation, I knew where specific assets needed separations (multiple, individual layers) including character articulation (e.g. facial features, joints) – prepping the files appropriately to allow quick and easy access for the animators.

Once the assets were complete, I passed them over to the other studio who took over the animation development of the explainer video. I also activated some of the story frames to help exemplify the intended animation style for them. See some of these tests below.

THE LAST CALL entailed quickly creating a looping interstitial video for company presentations (to be played in the soft time between speakers). The original request was for a realistic Earth behind a large logo, and partner company names placed around it, with a hi-tech feel. There wasn't much room for movement, but within the time allowed, I tried to expand upon this a bit by creating a pseudo-UI over an atmospheric world with partner logos circling, acting as satellite points. You can see part of the development process below.

I mapped hi-res NASA imagery onto the sphere, then meshed the two to create a day-to-night transition, with active sun/particles behind and a passing sun sweep across the logo, now 3D. The animated partner graphics were intended to create minor interest – brands hidden within the circling satellite points and then revealed as they passed by the First Data logo, signaling their partnership. Other pseudo-UI graphics were laid atop, and then everything else cleaned up – including matching begin and end points to create the loop. See below.

OVERALL - from graphics, to story, to animation – this was a fun campaign to work on. I have seen the fruits of these marketing efforts firsthand, as an increasing number of retailers I frequent use First Data and the Clover system.